John Seaman

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John Seaman

February 3, 1949 ~ March 14, 2023

The world lost a shining light on March 14, 2023 with the death of our beloved father, grandfather, brother and friend, John Seaman.

John was born in Schenectady, New York, on February 3, 1949 alongside his twin brother James, and preceded by his sister Anne Marie, to James W. and Edna M. Seaman. John attended both public and Catholic schools, graduating from Brophy Prep in Phoenix, Arizona in 1967. John earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Arizona State University. In 1979 he earned a doctoral degree in instructional psychology from the University of Utah.

John was a school psychologist for 36 years in Granite School District, serving twice as president of the Utah Association of School Psychologists, and also being honored as Utah School Psychologist of the Year in 1990 and receiving the UASP Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. John also taught as an adjunct professor of psychology at Salt Lake Community College, a job he particularly enjoyed later in his life.

John was completely devoted to his family. He began dating Kathy McCann (his future wife) in 1966 and married her in 1973, caring for her when she grew ill and staying at her side until her death in 2016. Preceding John in death are his parents, his wife Kathy, and his granddaughter, Mikelle. John is survived by his brother James (Madalyn), his sister Anne Marie, and his three sons Michael (Mandy), Jimmy (Emily) and John (Celine). His five surviving grandchildren – Thomas, Lucas, Chloe, Shelby and Patrick – brought him great joy.

Throughout his life, John found joy in fishing and hiking, observing the weather, playing pick-up basketball and watching the Utah Jazz and Utah Utes. He also found meaning in teaching religious education for 25 years at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish and St. Martin de Porres Parish. While John’s body ultimately succumbed to Parkinson’s disease, his spirit lives on through his children, his family, his friends, and the thousands of students he helped and served over the years in various capacities.

A Mass of Christian Burial is scheduled for 1 p.m. at St. Ann Catholic Church, 450 East 2100 South, on Wednesday, March 22, with burial following at Redwood Memorial Estates.